The Fight for Nova Scotia

After last fall’s surprise announcement by the government of Nova Scotia to ban flavoured eliquids by April 1, 2020, they finally started listening to the public. It “only” took the CVA (Canadian Vaping Association’s) postcard backed campaign where over 1,400 cards were mailed to the Department of Health as well as 4,000 signatures from vape shops in Nova Scotia.

Unfortunately, this is after another ridiculous and irresponsible rule they announced regarding taxes; a $0.50 tax per MILLILITER. This means that high nicotine devices backed by tobacco companies like JUUL will have only around $1.50 per box of cartridge. It also means that low nicotine solutions like ones produced by many small Canadian producers will be priced out. A 60ml bottle that goes for an average of $30 will be double the price at $60.

This unfair and ridiculous move will force many vapers to go back to smoking, which is confirmed by even Health Canada to be “less harmful than smoking”. This is where we are at now. On Thursday March 5th, 2020, not even one month from when the rules are to take place, the Nova Scotia Legislature’s law amendments committee is hearing from the public. The public overwhelmingly is against this rule, pleading with the government that enacting these laws will “unfairly affect small businesses and adult consumers”, as narrated by the CBC.

Jody Allen who is the owner of the Vapour Trail chain of vape stores correctly stated that “"If big tobacco designed a vaping control policy framework to advantage themselves, they could not have done better than what Nova Scotia has done," These laws only help the companies that have been profiting off death for decades, and unless the Liberal MLA’s of Nova Scotia changes these rules they will be looked at by history as a government that put unreasonable rhetoric and propaganda ahead of the lives of their constituents.